Rapid
by Cahaya Nightdreamer
Summary: Shira Lopez has seen many things in her life...known more things than was good for her, and she knew what was going to be involved, co-operating with Dæemon-Hunters and a Witch. But when things that can't be explained start happening, she wonders: Does she really? Sequel to Hopeless.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Ice Age.

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><p><strong>AN: So...finally decided to start this...hope anyone who still reads enjoys!<strong>

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><p>Prologue:<p>

"My lord," the doppleganger bowed respectfully. Someone, hidden in the shadows, turned and regarded the doppleganger with displeasure.

"I am not pleased with you."

The doppleganger visibly swallowed. "There were some difficulties, master. We didn't…we hadn't anticipated the ability of the Witch. He is underestimated by everyone in the realm. He found out our plans within a day of them working."

The shadows growled, looming threateningly over the man. "And you expect me to find that as an excuse not to kill you?!"

Once again, the doppleganger spoke, trying to buy itself some time. "Master, we need your help in this. If you want what you seek from the boy, we may need your help extracting it."

A sigh. "I will not go! I will not go in this _hideous_ form. I need _time_! Time which you cannot GIVE ME!" The doppleganger backed away.

"Master?"

The shows quietened, before a figure stepped out. The shadows backed away more. "Use it well. He will promise you victory, that is for certain."

"A _human_ mortal will help _us_? Surely we would have more success getting another changeling or maybe a Witch."

A growl. "No Witch would ally themselves with us, or oppose the boy. Hags will be of no use to us either." The doppleganger could practically hear the next smirk. "And this is no ordinary human mortal, doppleganger, as you will soon learn."

The figure straightened up.

"Don't disappoint me." The shadows spoke to the figure, who nodded, bowed, and turned to the doppleganger, who examined the figure carefully, before bowing to the shadows.

"We will take our leave now, master." The doppleganger bowed respectfully.

"Good." The shadows turned as well to leave the small area. The White family will pay for all of their foolishness, for all of their arrogance. They will pay for humiliating me!"

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><p>A lady with her golden hair tied up in a tight bun stared at the laptop, eyes furrowed, deeply concerned. Something was wrong.<p>

She remembered the doppleganger that had tried to impersonate her brother and had killed one of his soccer teammates. There was something up with him, but she didn't know what. Without hesitation, she picked up the phone.

"Hello? This is Diana White. I need to speak with my father."

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><p>Meanwhile, a teenager awoke on his bed, green eyes glowing in the dark like a cat's as he peered around the darkness, before giving up on sleep, and leaning back on the headboard of his bed, closing his eyes and trying to keep his breathing under control.<p>

Something big was coming, and he needed to be ready for it.


	2. vinning

Disclaimer: I do not own Ice Age.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks to englishtiger and Bombina for reviewing...hope you like this chapter!<strong>

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><p>Chapter 1:<p>

Shira unconsciously inhaled her boyfriend's fresh smell as she leaned in and pecked his cheek. "Hey." Diego turned, smiling.

"Hey yourself."

Shira sat down in the music classroom, watching as the class filled up slowly, all students coming from break. She turned to Diego again, and noticed slightly dark eye rings underneath his bright green eyes. "Not sleeping well?"

Diego sighed. "Not since…Zeke…you know."

Shira understood. Zeke had been a close friend of Diego, being a soccer teammate of Diego's back when he was in Half-Peak Boarding School. After he had transferred to Valley Academy, he had tried to get used to life at Valley, but Shira knew that it was hard.

"Wonder what're we doing this year for music."

They found out soon enough. Mrs. Mitford came into the room, beaming. "Well, well." She smiled at Diego for a moment, before turning to the rest of the class. "Like last year, you shall be doing a project…but individually." Groans were heard around the room.

"Each of you will do a project on a music composer individually - not modern ones, mind, of your choice. However, you have to be quick to claim the musician, before any others pick it. Those with more famous musicians will have to do more in order to get more credit, so I will be personally choosing the students who will be doing Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Chopin, and Tartini, since we did him last year, depending on their results from last year."

More collective groans.

Shira knew that it meant that Mrs. Mitford would be choosing those she thought were the most advanced in music.

"Right." Mrs. Mitford said. "Bach - Shira Lopez." Shira sighed, but nodded anyway. "Ellie Brown - Mozart." Ellie nodded, smiling. "Raz Indiate - Chopin." A small groan, but also a nod. "Sid Melan - Tartini." Sid nodded enthusiastically. "And…Beethoven - Diego White."

Diego sighed, but nodded, following what Shira had done.

"Now, that's it, and if you want a musician, you will have to come up and tell me, starting from…now." Immediately, students swarmed around her, shouting out names as Mrs. Mitford wrote down their names and musicians, before shouting out the name was going to be used.

When that was done, Mrs. Mitford clapped her hands and told the class what they were going to do, except for the ones she had picked. "For the whole year, you will research your musician, and make a presentation for 5 minutes about the musician. You will use a piece of music from the musician, and then learn it on an instrument, before remaking it into a more modern version - Caribbean, pop, rock, jazz…anything you want to do.

"After that, you must also compose your own piece of music based on another piece of music. Is that clear?" With that, all the students nodded and turned to their own music.

The few chosen gathered round as Mrs. Mitford continued speaking to them. "Now, as I said before, you have to do a presentation that lasts 10 minutes about the musician and his music. You will use 3 pieces of music from the musician, and then revert it into 3 different genres.

"After that, you will compose 2 pieces of music based on the musician. After that, you will have to mix or mash up your own music with the modern versions, and then the original pieces that they were based on, and then all of them altogether. Good?"

Groans were her answer.

Shira felt an oncoming headache. No way she could do this in time…right? She looked at Diego. He would have much better luck that she would.

She sighed, and then took out her laptop, sitting next to Diego as they started researching, before heading outside.

Her headache only increased as she saw the Sophomores of Half-Peak visiting the this year's Sophomores of Valley. This would end _really_ badly.


	3. i shpejtë

Disclaimer: I do not own Ice Age.

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><p><strong>AN: Short chapter...and Chapter 3's also gonna be short...but the rest will be longer, I promise! THANKS SO MUCH to those who reviewed (and englishtiger)!<strong>

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><p>Chapter 2:<p>

Shira yawned from where she was lying on her bed. She looked at the time. 10: 00 pm. She looked at her phone, and debated whether she should call Diego.

Maybe not.

She didn't know if he was awake or not (he would be), and, to be honest, Shira was not sure what to talk to him about.

A flash of movement caught her attention from the corner of her eye. She frowned, and leaned out of the window. The cool air hit her face in a refreshing way, but she squinted her eyes against the dimly lit street, ignoring the reinvigorating feeling and scent of the graveyard.

Who was that?

A figure, tall, dark, lean and walking like he owned the place, passed her house, and then moved on, before stopping outside of Diego's house. Shira immediately grabbed onto her phone, watching carefully. She got her jacket, ready to move at moment's notice.

When they knocked, Shira immediately dialled Diego's number. "Diego?"

"Yes?" Diego's voice was alert. She was right then. He was awake.

"I can see a guy walking to your door. Careful-"

The sound of a doorbell rang through the phone. Shira froze. She heard Diego moving cautiously, before he sighed. "Listen, Shir, I gotta call you back."

There was a knock from his side.

"Diego? What's going on?"

"Don't worry." Diego was quick to reassure her. "I'll try and tell you tomorrow."

"Try?!" Shira demanded, but Diego had already uttered a quick bye and hung up.

Shira glared at her phone for the rest of the night.

The next day, Shira got up early, and immediately went to stand outside of Diego's door, half-scaring him to death when he opened the door, eyes wide with shock. "Shira! Don't do that again!"

Shira crossed her arms. "And who was that?"

Diego opened his mouth to reply, but there was suddenly chatter from down the road. As they turned to look, they saw a crowd with cameras and lightings and everything, with a man in the middle, signing autographs with a professional calm look, answering questions.

"Wait." Shira recognised him, and her heart skipped a beat. "Is that…Is that _Ian Bennett_? The owner and founder of RC?"

Diego sighed. "Yes." He seemed to be mentally bracing himself for something, but before he could say anything, the rest of the 'herd' joined them, chatting away eagerly, and steering them towards the school, all the while grinning broadly.

By the time Shira turned back to look at Diego, he was already chatting with Manny, and she was forced to put it out of her mind.


	4. سريع

Disclaimer: I do not own Ice Age.

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><p><strong>AN: Another chapter...because I feel like it...hope you like!<strong>

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><p>Chapter 3:<p>

Shira frowned at her homework. She couldn't _CONCENTRATE_! She stared at her laptop blankly, the page already opened at Bach's Wikipedia page, but she couldn't absorb any of the information. She would have to try later.

As she closed her computer, her phone rang.

She glanced at it. Unknown number.

Hang up.

She flopped down on her bed, before her phone rang again.

She looked at the number.

Unknown number again.

Hang up.

A second had barely passed before her phone rang again. She growled, and slammed the button forcefully. Answer.

"Hello?"

"Ah. Shira Lopez?" She was stunned at the smooth male's voice that answered her.

"Who are you?"

"My, my, she was right. You are blunt."

"Who are you?" Shira repeated, panic starting to cloud her thoughts. Without hesitation, she grabbed her jacket.

"You are a perfect match for my stepbrother." The voice continued on as if she hadn't said anything.

That stopped Shira short. "Sorry…_what_?"

"He is a tad bit blunt himself, you know. And a bit aggressive as well, but I'm sure you understand that." The voice was completely unaffected, and Shira was starting to get annoyed at the voice. She growled into the phone.

"Who the _Hell_ are you?"

Tuts. "Be careful with your language. How _does_ he put up with you?"

"What?!" Shira demanded, beginning her descent down the stairs. She opened the door, starting to run to Diego's house. She had a pretty good idea who would know what was happening, and that person was currently in that house.

She banged on the door, stopping when she saw Diego open the door, eyes wide with shock. "Shira?"

"Ah, is that my stepbrother?" The voice continued.

Shira frowned, but Diego must've recognised the look on her face, as he snatched the phone out of her hand. "Who's this?"

Unfortunately, Shira couldn't hear anything that was being said, but Diego's face tightened in anger, and he spat out a stream of unintelligible and rapid Spanish words at the phone, who replied i the same language.

With that, Diego hung up, handing the phone back to Shira.

"Who was that?" Shira asked, hands on her hips.

"No one." Diego replied. Maybe a bit too quickly.

"Diego."

"Shira." Diego replied to her glare.

Shira glared at Diego, but Diego only replied to her glare with his own bright green eyes, which had darkened. "Please."

Her expression softened slightly, but she still frowned. "Fine. But answer me one question, and I won't ask anything else."

A sigh. "Go ahead."

"Who was that on the phone and why did he say he was your…stepbrother?"

Diego sighed, and looked around, before answering her in a low voice. "Shira…my family is…complicated." Shira nodded in understanding. One thing that Diego had confided in her was that his family situation had led to him being put into Half-Peak Boarding School while they sorted it out.

"And, my…dad…" He cringed. "Is not the most understanding or loyal of people…."

"So…" Shira was starting to understand. "He had an affair."

"Not just _an_ affair." Diego looked like he regretted what he was saying, but ploughed ahead anyway. "_Several_ affairs."

"Several?" Shira asked. "But…your parents are married?"

"They…split up." Diego muttered.

"But the man sounded…he sounded…" Shira didn't want to say it.

"Older?" Diego asked, eyebrow raised. "All of them are. I'm the youngest."

Shira gaped at him. Complicated _was_ the way to describe his family situation. Parents who split up, a dad who had not one, but _several_ affairs with children before Diego was born, and now a family situation that was disastrous. "Then…what was the situation with Half-Peak?"

Diego frowned. "Only one question." He made to close the door, but his voice travelled out before the door fully closed. "A hint - it had something to do with me and my stepparents."

Shira noticed the way he said parent_s_, not just parent.

She shivered, suddenly feeling cold.

She looked up.

A storm was brewing.


	5. arrin

Disclaimer: I do not own Ice Age.

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><p><strong>AN: And here's the next chapter. Things will be <em>really<em> random for the next two or so chapters, before they start to speed up. Hope you enjoy, and thanks to those who reviewed! (englishtiger, Bombina and Shiego627)**

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><p>Chapter 4:<p>

The week passed uneventfully. Whenever Shira tried to bring the topic up, Diego clammed up. Along with that, a new student had arrived in school.

He was cute, in that sort of sense that most girls at Valley found Diego (which would always result in fights between Shira and them that Diego himself had to break up). Diego was assigned to look after him, but he seemed bothered by it.

The boy, Derek, as he said so, immediately latched on to Diego, which the rest of the 'herd' found cute. (Of course, that was before Diego had threatened them)

But unlike Derek, Diego had a sort of repulsion with him. It wasn't disgust, no, but it was more of loathing…something that Shira remembered seeing in Manny.

When Derek had tried to talk to Diego, he was rebuked or completely ignored. Any questions were answered curtly. Diego avoided touching him, even, which made many of them uncomfortable since Derek and Diego had a hard time working together.

So…if Diego was to react like this, then the boy must come from their world…right?

Ellie contemplated this for a while, noticing the complete opposites of both. Derek was friendly and outgoing, also extroverted. Diego was friendly, yes, but he was more of the 'look-at-me-and-I'll-bite-your-face-of' kind of personality. Derek was studious and enjoyed music and education, while Diego enjoyed sports and was forced to do music.

He was a very neat boy, a gentleman, some might say. Of course, that would make him an instant target, but with Diego as his partner for the first few days, no one dared to approach him and Diego. Afterwards, he started becoming more popular, since he looked 'cute', and Diego was off-limits unless you wanted your face literally clawed off by Shira.

He gave off an aura that simply dared anyone to try and attack him and see what would happen. Diego only chose very specific close friends…the rest, not so much. He usually avoided any girls his age if he was with Shira, as he knew what would happen.

Ellie found herself shuddering as she remembered what had happened to the girl that had tried to flirt with Diego. Diego had to literally pull Shira off the girl, getting her home. Ellie had no idea how he managed to calm her down.

She remembered with a shudder what had happened with the girl during the Summer holidays, when Diego had come on one of his many trips.

The girl had been rather attractive, but Diego had completely ignored her, much to the annoyance of the girl, and the smug satisfaction of Shira.

As she thought this, she watched as Derek walked by, and smiled politely at her, before disappearing around the corner, but there was something suspicious about his movement.

Ellie quickly contemplated it, before she followed him around…only to find…_nothing_.

She looked around quickly, her instinct telling her that something was wrong.

And Ellie learned that when she felt an instinct, she should follow it.

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><p>Ellie quickly gathered the 'herd' in a small alcove, all looking puzzled at her desperation. Diego, thankfully, didn't bring Derek along, and seemed pleased for once.<p>

"Ellie, are you ok?" Manny asked, worried.

"Look," she burst out immediately. "You might think I'm crazy, but I think there's something off with Derek."

Diego rolled his eyes. "Please don't tell me you only reached that conclusion."

Ellie frowned. "No. I'm serious. I mean something from…_our_ world."

This drew their attention. Shira exchanged a glance with Diego. "Isn't Derek human?"

Diego shook his head. "No. He's…something. I think he's a combination, since we can't tell. Or else, he's made of _pure_ energy, which means that he can use it to mask his presence completely so that it escapes our radar. I'm a Witch, a creature of the Underworld. If it is a creature from Above, then Shira and I can't sense it."

As usual, Ellie used the opportunity to find out more about the two. Dæmon-hunters usually had limited information about the creatures of the Night, as they were called. "Wait. What is the 'Above'? And why isn't Shira included as a creature of the Underworld?"

Shira sighed. "I'm a Medium, one that translates the language of the Spirits to any Humans or creature. Therefore, I'm considered in-between, which means that I usually remain neutral, or else I act as a translator or nothing at all. Diego is a creature of the Underworld, as you can see from the hags."

Diego continued for her. "The Above is where all the supposedly 'good' creatures are from - Elves, Fairies, Pixies, Gnomes, White Witches, Angels, everything that you can think off-"

"Wait. _Angels_?" Manny asked incredulously.

Shira nodded. "Yes."

Suddenly, Shira tackled Diego for no apparent reason, before an arrow shot out onto where Diego had been standing just a few milliseconds ago. Diego stared at it incredulously, before turning to the trees, which hid the grove from the rest of the school.

Only a bright pair of blue eyes met his before turning away.

"Who was that?" Ellie asked, wide-eyed in shock.

Diego scowled. "I know exactly who that was."

Ellie shot him a suspicious look. "Why did he want to kill you?"

Diego's face darkened. "None of your business."

With that, he left the grove, the rest staring in silence at the retreating back, understanding that they and crossed a path they were not supposed to.


	6. ràpid

Disclaimer: I do not own Ice Age.

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><p><strong>AN: And here's the next chapter...thanks to englishtiger and IceDynamiteDragonflyStars (AKA Bombina :P) for reviewing!<strong>

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><p>Chapter 5:<p>

Diego stalked through the corridor, his gaze finally landing on Derek. The corridor was mostly empty, and Diego was relieved for that. Moving to where Derek was closing his locker, he growled. "Why did you launch the arrow?"

Derek turned, a malicious grin on his face.

Diego startled slightly. He had expected Derek to deny anything, but it seemed like that wasn't and wouldn't be the case.

"You know why, Diego." Derek smirked, before, with a sudden burst of energy and speed, slammed Diego by the throat into the lockers. Diego choked, trying to breathe in air, hands clawing at Derek's surprisingly tight grip. He leaned in, smirking.

Diego turned his head away, disgusted, but Derek whispered into his ear. "You, and your _whole_ family…shall pay."

Derek put out a finger, gently caressing Diego's cheek. Diego tried to back away in disgust.

"Get away from me, and stay the _Hell_ away from my family."

"I'll decide that, won't I?" Derek smirked, before walking off.

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><p>"So…what're you going to do now?" Shira asked, leaning on Diego's bed, looking at her boyfriend, who was sitting at the other end, staring blankly ahead of him.<p>

"I don't know." Diego shrugged.

"You could always call the police."

Diego snorted. "And what? Tell them that the sweetest student at Valley is a malicious killer who will kill me family if I don't back off?"

"That's an option."

Diego rolled his eyes good-heartedly. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and Diego moved to the window, his eyes widening. He turned back to Shira, and pulled her off the bed. "You have to go. _Now_."

"Why-?" Shira didn't get to answer, before the doorbell rang again, and a voice called out. "Diego!"

Shira narrowed her eyes. "Who's that?"

"No one." Diego smiled nervously, shoving her towards the door, and leading her down the stairs.

"You sure? Because that sounded a lot like Ian Bennett."

"Hello?!" The voice outside the door called again.

Diego swore under his breath, and turned, only for the door to open itself, and Ian Bennett looked at Diego and Shira. "Ah. Hello."


	7. rivende

Disclaimer: I do not own Ice Age.

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><p><strong>AN: Well, just found out how short last chapter was...next few chapters will be longer, PROMISE! :) thanks to IceAge Mutant and Shiego627 for reviewing! (P.S. Ian Bennett is a guy, though it is kind of revealed here)<strong>

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><p>Chapter 6:<p>

"Get out." Diego snapped at the man. Shira looked, wide-eyed, at him.

Ian sighed. "I'm not allowed to visit my son?"

"Not when you did what you did!"

Ian sighed again. "It was for a good cause."

"It was a huge gamble to help _your_ company! What if I suddenly had an accident?! Who's gonna pay for that?!" Diego exploded. Shira looked at him in astonishment.

Ok…this was _not_ what she was expecting. Maybe some lousy dad who slept with people, but not _Ian_ Bennett…

"It is a small matter-"

"_It_ is my life and health insurance!"

"And?"

Diego crossed his arms. "I could go to press about this."

Ian snorted. "And risk this attention on yourself when you spent the last 12 years secluding and isolating yourself from the media? Unlike your other siblings-"

"_Step_siblings!" Diego hissed. "Now, GET _OUT_!"

Ian shook his head. "I'll come back when you are feeling more reasonable." He walked to the door.

Diego glared at him, walking to the door as well. "How about…_Never_." With that, he slammed the door shut in Ian's face, with him turning to face Shira. She raised an eyebrow.

"Ok. Ok." Diego raised both hands in surrender. "Yes, Ian Bennett is my dad. _No_, you can't tell anyone else, and _no_, just delete everything you just saw and heard."

"One question."

"Shoot." Diego sighed.

"Last name?"

"Officially Bennett-White, but just White normally. Mom's maiden name."

Shira huffed in disbelief. "Diego, you are related, the son, actually, of an _all famous_ record company CEO and owner, and you just…_blow_ this off?!"

"I have reasons." Diego muttered.

"Wait wait wait wait wait." Shira stopped. "Does he know about…you know?"

"Why do you think he hates me so much?" Was her only reply.

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><p>Shira lay in bed, pondering what had just happened. This was impossible. She groaned and turned over in bed. Her boyfriend was the son of <em>the<em> most famous CEO and owner of an internationally successful record company.

She sighed.

Just another day in Paradise.

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><p>Three weeks passed, almost as normal, but whenever Shira tried to bring up the topic of Ian Bennett, Diego would shoot her a frosty look, and walk away from it.<p>

As Shira lay on her bed, thinking of how often she had been doing this, and that she should _really_ get to her project or Mrs. Mitford would kill her because she didn't get anything done so far, her phone rang.

Shira picked it up. Diego. "Hey."

"Shira, guess what?" Diego's voice was tight.

"Uh…you got a new house?"

"Seriously." Diego snarled into the phone. "I have a new stepbrother. And guess who it is. I'll give you a hint. It starts with D, ends with K, and rhymes with Merek."

Shira gaped. "Oh, sweet Death." She groaned. "You're _kidding_."

"Nope. And, what's more, father dear wants me to get to know him. Tomorrow night."

"Why am I feeling like this is like a clichéd movie? One where the guy gets an evil stepbrother, unknowing dad, and has to fight the stepbrother."

"Whoa. Who said anything about fighting?"

Shira shrugged, though knowing he couldn't see it. "Just predicting."

Diego sighed. "I'll see you tomorrow. Got to go out tonight." And hung up.


End file.
